Are you better off now that you were eight years ago? I am! I freely admit this has absolutely nothing to do with the presidency of George W. Bush. But since it’s become a campaign mantra, repeated to the point of seeming true, that the past eight years have been an economic failure, I’d like to point something out.

According to this table from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, US GDP was $9.817 trillion in 2000. In 2007, it was $13.808 trillion. That’s growth of approximately 41%, or an additional $3.991 trillion added to the economy during Bush’s “failed” presidency. During the alleged glory years of President Clinton’s term, 1992-2000, US GDP grew by $3.479 trillion (from $6.338 trillion to $9.817 trillion). Granted, this is higher in percentage terms — 54% vs. 41%. But we’re not talking, say, orders of magnitude different.